Before you start doing your makeup, always make sure your skin is free of excess oil. If your face is too oily, your foundation might not adhere as well as it should. Don’t skip the moisturizer because, while too much oil is a bad thing, sufficiently hydrated skin makes for better makeup application.

You need to decide on how much coverage you want. For full coverage, go for a heavier foundation formula, or cream. For sheer coverage, go for a lighter liquid formula, or thin out a cream foundation by mixing in some moisturizer.

If you’re using a sponge, dampen it first before loading some product (ideally off a metal mixing palette) onto the sponge. Be careful not to load too much; you need to still be able to see the texture of the sponge. Always use as little product as possible. It’s easier to build than to erase! To apply, press the sponge gently on the face with short strokes or with rolling movements. Start from the forehead and work your way down past the jaw, blending into the neck. Your foundation shouldn’t look like a mask.

If you’re using a flat foundation brush, load the brush with a little product and apply in small, gentle downward strokes. Start from the forehead. If you’re using a dense, round brush to apply foundation, use small, circular buffing movements to create a seamlessly blended sheer effect. Always blend into the neck.

Concealer goes after the foundation because the foundation should already cover up lighter blemishes and discolorations, if any. Then you can assess if you still need a little extra coverage. Use a green-tinted corrector for red spots or reddish areas. A peach-toned concealer is best for negating dark violet or blue tones under the eyes. Apply it with a flat eye shadow brush or a concealer brush using small, pressing strokes from the inner corners of your eyes, extending downwards a little past where your dark circles end. Blend it upwards towards the outer corners of the eyes. You may finish off with gentle circular motions with a buffing brush. This will pick up any excess product so your concealer doesn’t look heavy or get cakey.

Healthy, glowy, fresh skin is in. That’s the look you want to go for. So when you dust on some loose powder to set your foundation, keep it along the T-zone and down the center of your face, leaving the outer edges of the face dewy-looking.

And now your canvas is ready, and you’re all set for the rest of your makeup! Have fun! Show us how you ace your base by leaving a comment or tagging us on Instagram @iamclaireph.